The 82-year-old Simões rarely attacks Portugal captains in public. On Wednesday he did.

“Sometimes we feel that he is only thinking about himself,” Simões told A Bola, speaking a day after Ronaldo publicly aired his grievances with Jesus in a statement on social media.

The Benfica icon went further. “A player who has had such a career, who has matured and become a man, must find a way to think beyond himself.”

The dispute Simões wants ended

Ronaldo, 41, who had left the camp during the international break after watching Portugal’s 2-1 win over Norway on 4 October from the bench, went public on Tuesday, accusing Jesus of breaking two promises: that he would get 30 minutes against Norway, and that the coach would publicly clarify at his next press conference that the forward had never demanded playing time. Neither happened, Ronaldo wrote in a statement published on social media.

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Jesus has rejected that account, telling the media there was no agreement in place.

Simões sided with the coach, but not punitively.

“Jesus has full authority to have Ronaldo start warming up for one minute or 30 minutes, as he is the coach,” he said. “Why should he receive special treatment? He has a different standing, but is he not a player in the team?”

‘I lived through this at the World Cup in South Africa’

Simões suggested he had seen this pattern before. “I lived through this experience at the World Cup in South Africa, and I had the chance to talk to him,” he told A Bola, pointing to Portugal’s 2010 campaign.

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He questioned whether Ronaldo, at 41, still improves the squad. “When you are 41 years old, you have to realise that you may be useful at a certain moment. If he wants to play, that is not a crime, but he must understand that the desire to play does not mean playing the entire match.”

Then the sarcasm. “After scoring 1,000 goals, Cristiano Ronaldo will keep playing with the national team until the age of 49,” Simões said.

‘Better to make peace than continue the war’

For all the criticism, Simões closed on reconciliation.

“It is better to find a way to make peace rather than continue the war. What is required is common sense and tolerance.”

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Jesus took charge of Portugal on 9 July 2026 after the country’s Round of 16 elimination by Spain at the 2026 World Cup, replacing Roberto Martínez. The dispute with Ronaldo is his first public crisis in the role.

Simões ended on a question. “A man who is 41 years old and plays football… is it not better for him to stop?”

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